Page 62 of Faking it with the Hybrid

“Oh!” Mattie exclaimed, trying to make sure she didn’t kick anyone as her feet flew into the air. “Grath, you don’t have to carry me!”

“Faster this way,” he growled. He left her family behind and carried her rapidly through the crowd until they reached one of the brightly marked EXIT doors.

Then he pushed through, taking her out of the noisy, crowded dance hall into the silent, freezing night.

THIRTY-SIX

GRATH

Something was wrong. Something wasdefinitelywrong, Grath told himself. He’d been certain that Madeline understood what he had been trying to tell her—that he was going to make a fake proposal. But either she was a much better actress than he’d given her credit for, or she had really believed it was real.

Her reaction when he’d asked her to Join with him had been one of extreme, joy and her family had been ecstatic, too.Overwhelminglyecstatic, Grath told himself.

He wouldn’t have minded their reaction if the proposal had been real. He would have welcomed their enthusiasm and felt honored that they wanted him as part of their clan.

But knowing it was fake—knowing that Madeline would just have to tell them that she had “broken up” with him in a few months—made Grath so melancholy he wanted to weep—whichwasn’tsomething he did often.

First, however, he had to find out what was going on.

“Madeline?” he asked, looking down at her uncertainly. He had placed her on her feet on the path beside the perimeter of the building and he thought it looked like she was starting to shiver. Were the effects of his essence beginning to wear off?

“Grath, I don’t know what to say,” she murmured, looking up at him. “I know the two of us have grown a lot closer these past couple of days, but I never could have guessed you’d really ask me to marry you!”

“Ididn’t,” he said bluntly. “I mean I know itlookedlike I did but…”

He trailed off, because Madeline was staring at him with a stricken expression on her lovely face.

“But…but the ring!” She gestured at her hand, where the diamond caught the light from the holiday decorations and glittered like ice. “It’s huge! Surely you didn’t buy me such a big diamond just to use as a prop for a fake proposal?”

“Ethan was with me—he told me I had to buy the biggest one I could afford.” He shrugged, his shoulders rolling under the tux. “So that’s what I fucking did.”

“So…it’s not for real?” Her expression in this unguarded moment was tragic—a mask of utter disappointment and despair. “But I thought…I thought…”

“Look, it’s not that I don’twantit to be real,” Grath said quickly. “I’d like nothing better, little girl. But I’m a Hybrid, which means Ican’tbond you to me.” He shrugged again, awkwardly. “I mean, I wish I could, but it’s fucking impossible.”

“What?” Madeline shook her head as though she didn’t understand.

“I said I can’tbondwith you,” Grath repeated, thinking she hadn’t heard him. “Because I’m a Hybrid with not just two strains of the Kindred bloodline butthreestrains—I’m a Triple Hybrid. That makes bonding with a female damn nearimpossible.”

Madeline put her hands on her full hips.

“So we can’t bond? So what?” she demanded. “I’m sure it’s convenient to be able to call each other telepathically, without using a cell phone or a Think-me, but I don’t feel like the lack of that ability should keep us from getting together.”

Grath frowned and shook his head.

“I don’t think you understand about bonding, little girl. Forming a Soul-Bond with another person is a hell of a lot more than just calling each other up telepathically. It’s deeper…more intense…the deepest and most sacred relationship you can have with another person.”

Madeline’s eyes narrowed.

“Is that right? And how do you know that? Have you everhadthis kind of bond before?”

“Well…no,” Grath admitted. He didn’t like to tell her about Ar’leenah and how he had tried and failed to bond her to him. It was still such a painful memory.

“Then how do you know it’s this all encompassing, ‘intense’ experience?” Madeline demanded. “Do you know what I think?” she went on, before he could even attempt an answer. “I think this is all anexcuse.”

“An excuse?” Grath exclaimed. “You think I wouldn’t bond you to me in a minute if I thought I could, little girl?”

“No, I don’t,” Madeline snapped. “Because I think you’re like every other man I’ve ever known—you’re afraid of commitment!”

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